Staff Seminar on Restorative Justice: Agency, Accountability and Restorative Justice

In recent years, restorative-based interventions have increasingly been viewed as a legitimate, and even superior means of delivering criminal justice. Given the sheer pace at which praxis in the field has evolved, there is a clear need to re-evaluate the utility of some of the prevailing benchmark theories surrounding restorative justice and to reimagine the shape and role of theory in guiding restorative justice provision within criminal justice. Drawing on empowerment theory, we argue that the joint concepts 'agency' and 'accountability' provide a useful lens for reimagining how restorative works and the normative goals it ought to encompass. From our perspective, programmes which aspire to be regarded as 'fully restorative' should be designed, implemented and evaluated in such a way that agency and accountability are maximised.

After the seminar, we would like to invite the faculty to join us at Level 5 Faculty Lounge to discuss possible areas of collaboration and chat with Professor Doak over tea and coffee.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Professor Jonathan Doak

Jonathan Doak is Professor of Criminal Justice and Associate Dean for Research at Nottingham Law School, Nottingham Trent University. He completed his LLB and doctoral studies at Queen's University Belfast, and has previously taught at Durham University, the University of Sheffield and the University of Ulster.

Jonathan's main research interests lie in the broad fields of criminal justice and transitional justice. In particular, he has published widely on the rights of victims and survivors, restorative justice and evidential protections for vulnerable witnesses in criminal proceedings. He has considerable experience in working with law reform bodies and non-governmental organisations in seeking to improve the experiences of victims and witnesses who come into contact with the criminal justice system.

Currently Jonathan is conducting research into the various ways in which different legal orders have tended to conceptualise issues of reparation and reconciliation. He is also completing a book with David O'Mahony (Essex) on the ‘gap’ between restorative justice theory and practice.

Jonathan is the Editor of the International Journal of Evidence and Proof and serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of Criminal Law, the British Journal of Community Justice, the Journal of Forensic Research and Crime Studies and the International Journal of Law, Crime and Justice.